A few ideas for free and/or homemade gifts
(Especially if you write a nice note and/or put a bow on it.)
Hello, hello. As promised, here’s part two to last week’s newsletter on gifts. But first, to add to the list of purchasable items, one of you (thank you!) shared these ideas:
A mixed 12-pack of cider from Anxo
A box of bagels from Call Your Mother, Bethesda Bagel, or Bullfrog (also if you like bagels, keep your eyes on Bagel Bus for more tasty bagel options coming soon)
A bottle (quart!) of Medium Rare’s secret sauce (which reminds me, Bad Saint sells housemade condiments, too; I’ve also been eyeing this mambo sauce.)
And now for things you can DIY, some of which are free, a few of which are edible:
For the person who needs to get out: a curated Google map. Maybe it’s a list of restaurants to get takeout from, or ones that would be good for picnic fare, plus picnic spots close to the restaurants. Maybe it’s a collection of hikes and trails, or maybe it’s historical (take a cue from DC’s neighborhood heritage trail)! Miss your traveling buddy? Make a map for your next destination and add all the spots you’d like to visit with them. If you want something physical for the recipient to open, make a map-themed card and include a tiny url to your online map.
For the person who needs a new groove: a playlist of your favorite tunes for walking, relaxing, cooking, crying, working from home, etc. I’m partial to Spotify because their algorithms usually understand me (and when they don’t I can block people I never want to hear. Sry Father John Misty.). This is especially fun to make in collaborative playlist form, so that you can do a group gift for a family member or a mutual friend.
For the person who needs a little self-care: a fancy massager. Ok it’s not at all fancy, it’s just two tennis balls that you put in a sock, then tie the sock in knots to keep the balls in place. (Shout out to my dad for telling me about this many moons ago.) I use this mostly on my neck, but according to this YouTube video it’s also good for your back; tie a knot around each ball so that they won’t hit your spine. Wash the sock first.
For the person who could use a break from technology: a jar filled with activity ideas. Write prompts for at-home or outside activities, like… “Make a batch of cookies” (include your favorite cookie recipe so they don’t have to look one up!!) or “Go outside and twirl around in the grass” or “Draw a flower and send it to your best friend.” (Shout out to K + G for their idea jar, which inspired this.)
For the person you wish you could cook for: a recipe zine. Write down five to 10 of your go-to recipes from ~these times~ or fill it with complicated cooking projects that maybe you’ll make together (but apart) and share over a video call. Include a table of contents and write a little heartfelt intro. And by zine I mean: use printer paper on the inside and card stock on the outside, handwrite your recipes, add nonsensical doodles, bind it saddle stitch-style, cut out random sketches from the stack of New Yorkers you were sure you’d get through after you canceled your subscription in April but now they’re just extra dusty, make a collage from canned food labels to go on front, and seal it all with Mod Podge. See image at top for an example. :)
For the person who’s really into plants: MORE PLANTS. It’s time to get propagating, baby. If you start now then your plants might be ready in time for this year’s holiday giving; if not, just call it a New Year’s gift or tuck this idea away for a birthday.
For the person who needs some flavor: a spice blend …made from spices you already own. This is also a sneaky way to use up your own excess spices, which maybe you found when you were organizing said spices. “Cool but I’m not a master spice blender,” you say? ~~~You can blend whatever spices and herbs you want. It’ll taste good. I promise.~~~ I have a small swing-top jar that serves as our house blend; it’s always changing and goes well in anything savory. (Idk when this started but I’m pretty sure it was after a visit to friends Sarah and Ben who had their house blend sitting next to the stove, so thank you, friends.)
For the person who got really into bread: sourdough powder, made from your sourdough starter. As the sourdough librarian explains, it’s just discard that you spread on a lined baking sheet and dry in the oven. Adjust the oven temperature + duration in the oven to play with the flavor. Grind it into a powder that you can instruct your lucky recipient to use as a natural flavor additive in breads, pizza doughs, sauces, etc.
…and for other edible things, there’s always: cookies, spiced nuts, preserved lemons, infused simple syrups, shrubs, jams, pickles, homemade baking mixes, hot sauces + other homemade condiments, etc., etc.
This is probably the last newsletter I’ll send you this year. I’m not one to compile year-end roundups of my greatest hits and something tells me our collective inboxes will be swamped enough as it is.
Thanks for reading, happy holidays, and best wishes for the new year. After all, how bad can 2021 be? 🙃